A Ravenclaw: Overshadowed
by water sprite
Summary: This story will be undergoing major editing and (hopefully) finishing after Musings of a Red Head is done :) Enjoy my other fics for the time being!
1. Prologue

A Ravenclaws POV: Overshadowed  
  
  
  
I was excited, just like everyone else, when I received my letter from Hogwarts. My parents were overjoyed when they saw it, they had gone there to, and were honoured, I guess, to have me go. I was never their favourite child. They prefered my younger sister over me. She was everything a daughter ought to be, she was the one they thought would go to Hogwarts. I hadn't shown many magical talents when I was younger, it came late for me, but it came and that at least and gave me respect from my parents. When my sister didn't get accepted into Hogwarts my parents were devastated, their perfect daughter was a squib. They turned on me after that, and the life that I thought couldn't get any worse, got worse.  
  
It began all those years back on my first day at Hogwarts, I was excited. I met my best friend that day, and she still is my best friend. She got me through all those hard times back in the first 5 or so years at school. She understood how I felt and I'm sure she felt the same way sometimes. Anyway, the first moment I knew life was going to be horrible here, was when I first put on that sorting hat. I guess I didn't know it then, but what that hat said to me could have saved me from the torture I put myself through. I hadn't really been listening to all it was saying, I just wanted to hear what house I was in. It might have been that I was impatient that made the hat put me in Ravenclaw, but it was something else and I figured that out later. I kept on telling myself that I could have prevented all that had happened, that things could have been better if I hadn't done this or that. It was all those things that I did do that left the scar on me.  
  
I can still remember how I used to feel back at Hogwarts, sure my life was good and I had really good friends. It was just those certain moments that I couldn't stand it anymore and I would burst out and cry. I never told anyone why I would cry, but they would comfort me all the same. So thats how my life went at Hogwarts, sometimes I would get these really great days and others I would feel horrible. It was those horrible days that left that scar on me, and now I can never forget them.   
  
***  
  
A/N this is just my prologue to a story soon to come :) please review and tell me if you think this is a good start. thanks :) 


	2. First Days

Chapter 1: First Days  
  
  
  
Rachael silently got out of her mother's car. She was feeling sick, nausea mixed in with the excited butterfly feeling you get before a speech or performance. It was not a good combination. Walking over to the trunk of the car, she tripped over one of her undone shoelaces, falling onto the gravel of the Kings Cross parking lot and stopping herself with her hands, tearing off many layers of skin. Not a good way to start off her first day of school.   
  
"Oh, honey are you alright?" Rachael heard the clacking of her mothers four-inch heels coming around the side of the car. Then appeared the brightly coloured red toenails, she hated those toenails.  
  
"I'm fine," Rachael said, trying to get up and wincing with the stinging pain of her hands.   
  
"Oh here, darling, let me fix that," reaching into her large straw handbag, Rachael's mother pulled out her ten inch, dragon hide, wand. Emphasis on the dragon hide as she always said.  
  
"No really, I'm Fine!" Rachael replied, remembering the last time her mother had tried to fix her cuts. She was a reporter, not a docter, and she certainly hadn't mastered the art of healing charms yet. Rachael had to give her mother credit for trying, though.  
  
"Oh come on, those hands look like they hurt a lot, and besides I've done this charm millions of times!"   
  
"Millions of times wrong." Rachael muttered, but her mother didn't hear it. She was now bending down in front of Rachael, muttering the charm and waving her wand.   
  
"Oops," she said, standing up straight again. "Here I'll just fix that now."   
  
"What did you do!" Rachael screamed, looking down at her now tinted purple hands. " Ok never mind! I'll do it!" Rachael said. Almost completely forgetting about the pain her hands were causing her. She popped open the trunk and shuffled around in her Hogwarts suitcase. Grabbing her new wand, she performed a simple healing charm that she had read about the night before and her hands immediatly began to feel better, though the wounds were still open.   
Looking up Rachael noticed her mother was staring at her sadly. Now she's going to make me feel bad, like she always does, Rachael thought, pulling out her suitcase and walking back to her mother.  
  
Sighing she said, "I'm sorry mom, it's just you should realise your not a nurse, your a great writer though." Rachael hugged her, being small for her age she only went up to her mothers waist, but she didn't mind.  
  
"I try to be a good mother, I really do," Rachaels mom said sniffling.  
  
"You're a great mom, now lets get inside before I miss the train." She nodded and they walked inside.   
  
Kings Cross station wasn't the kind of place you wanted to be, early Monday mornings. Muggles were running everywhere, trying to catch the early train to the mall or to a soon to be meeting. Rachael and her mom stood just inside the entrance to the hall and stared, how were they ever going to get to the other side of the station? It was ten minutes to eleven and they still hadn't said their goodbyes and good lucks.   
  
Rachael shook her head, sending her straight golden blond hair flying, "This is insane!" She said, watching a muggle man quickly stop to check his watch and run off again.  
  
"Ok on the count of three we run to platform 9 and 3/4, right through the wall, k?" Rachaels mom looked down at her small daughter in her short shorts and sandals. Rachael nodded. "1....2....3."  
They both ran as fast as they could right through the wall between platform 9 and 10. On the other side, Rachael could see many wizards and witches saying goodbye to their sons or daughters and older years running around in search of friends. When she looked to her right she saw a family of red heads all hugging their mother. She couldn't help but laugh, the sight was a bit humorous. Looking to her left, Rachael saw a dirty blond haired boy standing all alone and she went over to say hi. Saying goodbye to her mother, Rachael and the boy, whose name was apparently Lindsay, went to find an empty compartement to put their stuff in.   
  
"So're you a mudblood?" Rachael asked Lindsay, using the term lightly, he probably didn't know what it meant.   
  
"Nope! I'm a purebread wizard" Lindsay said, smiling.  
  
"Cool, I'm half and half, my moms a wizard and my dad was a muggle, he never knew I was born though"Rachael said, remembering when her mother had first explained the situation to her, she shuddered pushing the thought out of her head.  
  
"Neat, I have an aunt whose like that, married a muggle I mean" Lindsay said smiling, what a cute smile Rachael thought.  
  
"So, anyway. Do you want me to teach you how to play poker, wizard style?"  
  
"Ok, sure! I love poker." Lindsay said, enthusiastacly sitting down beside Rachael and getting ready to play. Just as she began to teach him the rules to wizard poker, the train jerked and began to move. She stuck her head out the window and waved a last goodbye to her mother, who was wiping up tears with a bright pink hankercheif.  
  
"So you know how to play normal poker, right?" Rachael asked, turning back to Lindsay, he nodded. "Well, in wizard poker we use different cards, here I'll see if i have a pack in here." Rachael dug around in her backpack and pulled out a pack of cards. "Instead of numbers, on these cards there are pictures of various wizard objects, see here on this card we have a wand, now the quality of the wand on your card depends on what kind of spell it'll shoot out at you. You play like normal poker, but there will be your cards spitting various things out at you, destroying your chips. So the trick is to get rid of cards that are more dangerous, while keeping a good hand up. Get it?"  
  
"Uh, I think so," Lindsay nodded, picking up the cards that Rachael was dealing him. They played wizard poker for a fair bit of an hour, laughing every time a card would spit something unexpected out. They stopped around lunch time to go buy some lunch and explore the train.  
  
Rachael now had Lindsay following her around everywhere and they soon became good friends. passing by a compartement with two boys around their age, one of the boys caught Rachael's eye. He had bright red hair and was one of the boys who had been hugging their mother back at Kings Cross station. Now she remembered where she had seen him before! Her dad worked with his in the Ministry of Magic. She walked up to say hi and see if he remembered her.   
Peering in the door she could see the back of the other boys head. He had dark brown or black hair and his head was bobbing up and down. She tried to catch the other guys eye.   
  
"What're you doing?" Rachael heard Lindsay over top of her, he was peering into the room over her head. I'm so small! she thought, why do I have to be so small?  
  
"I recognise that boy, the one with the red hair. See?" She said, pointing over to the boy. Lindsay nodded.  
  
"You'll meet him soon enough, we're almost at the school, I expect." Lindsay moved over beside her. "Come on we have to change into our robes." Deciding that Lindsay was right, Rachael went back to change.  
  
As they were walking back to their compartment, the train came to an abrupt halt. Rachael tripped over her undone shoelaces (which she hadn't bothered to tie up earlier) and came to an ubrupt halt too, on the floor. She cursed as Lindsay helped her up. They ran back to the compartment and grabbed their robes not bothering to change into them, ran out again, suitcases in hand and met the outgoing traffic of students. They were all wearing their black school robes and the two friends stood out against the crowd, like two bright lights in a black sea. Everyone was chatting excitedly, but Lindsay and Rachael were just looking around at their surroundings. It was dark outside and dribbling a bit with rain, they could see outside the train many large horseless wagons, though Rachael knew that they must be invisible.   
  
"Firs' years over here!" Rachael heard a deap gruffy voice call out, she turned in that direction and saw a large latern swaying about and a group of first years underneath it. She nudged Lindsay and they both followed the lantern over to a small lake, in which many rowboats were floating. "Get yer in here!" Rachael heard the voice say again and saw a large giant like man shove her and Lindsay into a boat. Two other boys jumped in after them and then the boats began to move.  
  
"My names Rachael," Rachael said to the newcomers, twirling her blonde hair and taking a liking to the boy on the left, the one with dark brown hair and a speckle of freckles.   
  
"Seamus," the other boy said, yawning and resting his chin on his hand.  
  
"Dean," the boy on the left said and Rachael gave him a sweet smile.   
  
"So, what house do you reckon you'll all be in?" Rachael asked, still smiling at Dean.  
  
"I dunno," now Dean yawned, turning away from Rachael and leaning back to rest on the edge of the boat.  
  
"I reckon I'll be in Gryffindor,"Seamus said, still resting his chin on his hands. "You?"  
  
"I'd like to be in Gryffindor too," Rachael replied, starting to like Seamus better than Dean.  
  
"I think we're here,"Lindsay said, as the boat came to a stop at the other side of the lake. They all got off and followed the 'giant man' as Rachael named him, to the entrance hall of Hogwarts. She had been here before, her dad had taken regular visits here when he was in the eduacation departement of the ministry. Most of the other kids were ooing and awing and the immense pillars and the large staircases leading to various levels of the castle.   
  
"Follow me first years," A lady of about 40 years waved her hand at the students to follow her, "my name is Proffesser McGonnagol." The lady's voice was strict and stern, Rachael suddenly thought of a good idea to annoy the teacher. She waved her hand high in the air and all the students around her looked over. "Yes?" McGonnagol nodded at her, annoyed.  
  
"Can I go dry myself off? I'm soaked!" Lindsay laughed, she wasn't wet at all.  
  
"No, now follow me."  
  
"but I'm going to catch cold I'm so wet! It's not good for my health." Rachael was putting on her fake voice that always fooled everyone, she began to shiver.  
  
The Proffessor sighed, rolling her eyes and mumbling about troublesome children. "If you must, take this towel and go down the hall to the washroom, Now everyone else follow me!" Rachael smirked, grabbing the towel and prancing down the hall, this was going to be an interesting year.  
  
***  
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone cept for Rachael, her mom and Lindsay. Everythin else belongs to J.K Rowling!  
  
A/N Ok I know all of you are saying, Where's the rest of it! **cough cough** ya right! sorry bout how short this is, not that anyone read it anyway, but hey ya never know! well thats all for now, not quite sure where on earth this story is goin yet, but hey I'll have fun w/ it. Now then thats enough of my blabbing...... REVIEW! thanx ^_^  
-Water Sprite 


	3. Sorting Things Out

Chapter 2 : The Sorting  
  
After thoroughly annoying Proffessor Mconnagol, Rachael headed into the sorting ceremony where the fisrt years were already lined up at the head of the hall. She spotted Lindsay, caught his eye and walked over. Lindsay was looking particularily white and he gave her a nervous smile. Rachael returned it and wondered why he was so nervous.   
  
"This is the best part of the school year," She said to Lindsay, some other white looking first years looked over. One of these was the mysterious red-haired boy who Rachael was torturing herself for not remembering his name. "Why you all wasting it looking all nervous?!" Some of the people smiled and turned back to face the room, listening for their name to be called. Lindsay, however just looked even more white, he bit his lip in nervousness.   
  
"What's wrong?" Rachael asked, nudging Lindsay's shoulder.  
  
"It's my parents," he whispered.  
  
"What about them?"   
  
"They were both in Slytherin," He told her, his eyes looking worried as 'Malfoy, Draco' was placed in Slytherin. The silver haired boy looked pleased with himself and sat down at his house table. "You know the rumours about Slytherin?"  
  
"Ya, but you know people's kids aren't always put in the same house as they were." Rachael patted his back, trying to reassure him.  
  
"Normand, Rachael," Proffessor Mconogol called. Rachael gave Lindsay a reassuring smile and went to put on the hat. She had just barely put on the Sorting hat, when it shouted out 'Ravenclaw', in her mind and in her ears, Rachael winced. That had been a loud sound. The second table to the left burst out in cheers and Rachael headed over. She took a seat beside a Chinese looking second year who smiled at her and welcomed her to Ravenclaw, Rachael thanked her. She hadn't expected to be in Gryffindor, but it would have been nice all the same. She focused her attention on Lindsay. He was literally shaking from nervousness. The line of first years slowly got smaller as Mconnagol called out the last few people. The red haired boy, who, Rachael found out, name was Ron Weasly, was placed in Gryffindor. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were also placed there. Rachael felt a surge of jealousness as she watched the boys joke and laugh. Why was she placed in Ravenclaw?   
  
Another surprise for Rachael was that Harry Potter was in her year. She looked on to the Gryffindor table again, saw his black hair flopping about and green eyes shining. Stupid, Rachael thought, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid Harry Potter. I will not think of it, I will not think of that, I will not, I will not. Rachael mentally kicked herself, she was snapped back to reality when she saw Lindsay just standing there all alone. Mconnagol was rolling up her scroll and Lindsay was looking at her with a look of relief and terror. Rachael looked back at Mconnagol, she was now picking up the hat.  
  
"Wait!" Rachael yelled across the room. "You've forgot a student!" She pointed to where Lindsay was standing and Mconnagol walked over to him. Rachael got up and walked over too.  
  
"What's this?" Mconnagol asked, looking at Lindsay. "I've already called all the students." Lindsay looked like he was going to be sick, so Rachael answered for him.  
  
"His names Lindsay Avery," She said. Mconnagol pulled out her scroll.  
  
"I haven't got a Lindsay Avery." The proffessor said, looking at Lindsay curiously.  
  
"You have now, Minerva," Rachael jumped, The headmaster Dumbledore had come up behind her. He had a knowing look in his eyes and he smiled at her. Rachael looked away, confused, what was this all about? Some of the Ravenclaws were looking at the situation with curiosity, most of the students were still excitedly chatting about Harry Potter and hadn't noticed. Curse Harry Potter, Rachael thought. No! she told herself, stop thinking about that! Rachael looked back to where Lindsay was, he now looked completely green. Dumbledore was explaining something to Mconnagol so Rachael grabbed Lindsay's hand and lead him to the hat.  
  
"They just forgot to put your name on the list," She told him. "You can try on the hat now." She led him to sit down and had just put the hat on him when Mcaonngol screamed 'NO'. It was too late though, the hat was on.  
  
"It's Ok Minerva," Dumbledore told her, everything should turn out fine. Though he doesn't look like it will, Rachael thought. I wonder what's up?  
  
**  
  
Lindsay had been sitting with the hat on him for about twenty minutes, turning from dark shades of green to ghostly whites and even grey. He had started to sweat about ten minutes ago and was thoroughly soaked through his clothes ( Rachael and Lindsay still didn't have their robes on). Rachael looked at him with concern in her eyes. Dumbledore had forced her to sit away from him as the hat decided what house to put him in. She couldn't see his eyes because they were covered by the hat. The other students had already started to eat, they had been served after it had become evident that the hat was not going to make his decision up quickly. Rachael looked longily at the hot rolls and butter at the Ravenclaw table, she would wait for Lindsay though. He would probably like the company after this all was done.  
Finally the hat whispered, in a hardly audible voice, 'ravenclaw'. Rachael just barely heard it, she jumped up and ran over to him, pulling the hat up off his head and giving him a huge hug. She didn't know what the hat had said to him in there or what was the problem with Linsday, but she was relieved to see him out of there. He got up and gave her a weak hug back, then pulled away and smiled at her dazedly. His eyes were stained red with tears. he stood there for a few seconds, wobbling back and forth.  
  
Lindsay walked a couple of steps forward, unsure of himslef. Then he collapsed, right unconcious onto the floor.   
***  
  
A/N ok I know this is short but i needed to end it right here and post it like this. The next chapters will be way longer than this one! much much longer, very long! so don't be too sad :) anyway hope u all liked this, I know I've made some changes but now I'm sure or pretty sure where I'm taking this story and chapters will be coming up much more frequently! :) well thats all! R/R  
-Water Sprite  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Lindsay and Rachael, everything else belongs to J.K Rowling!!!  
  



	4. New Ideas

Chapter 3 : New Ideas  
  
  
  
  
Rachael ran over to Lindsay after he collapsed. She didn't know what pulled her so strongly, but something made her kneel down beside him, shaking him, hoping he would wake. She felt a power within her open up, something inside herself was willing Lindsay to wake up, willing him to get better. Rachael shook her head and got up, yelling at the proffessors to get the nurse or whoever healed down to Lindsay right now.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey," Dumbledore called, a short but plump woman got up from the front table and headed over to Rachael and Lindsay.   
  
"Hurry up!" Rachael yelled, feeling Lindsay's need to be helped. Practically the whole school was paying attention to the scene at the front of the Great Hall, they all saw as Rachael hopelessly knelt back down beside Lindsay.  
  
She felt a twinge in her hands, an itch in her brain. Have I ever felt this way before? She wondered. Her hands began to twitch without her telling them to. She stared in shock as her hands and brain told her to hold Lindsay, ' at the temples!' her head screamed at her. When she tried to resist they just went ahead and held Lindsay's head anyway.  
  
Rachael was vaguely aware of Madame Pomfrey kneeling on the other side of Lindsay, staring at her in awe. She didn't notice as Dumbledore came and rested a hand on the nurse's shoulder to prevent her from helping the girl.   
Rachael only heard the short ragged breaths of Lindsay, she could only see her hands moving across his face discovering what was wrong with him. Then all she could see was the poison inside of him, a blackish yellow substance traveling throughout his veins, infecting and killing him. Rachael felt a surge of power within her, a red hue that traveled through her veins and then out her finger tips. The power entered into Lindsay, pushing the poison out of him, it fought away the black and yellow. Lindsay moaned and moved restlessly, but Rachael held on. She could feel the strength pooring out of her and into Lindsay.   
Finally, she let go, breathing shortly and sweating with all the work it had taken to heal. Lindsay opened his eyes and stared up at Rachael, he was alive and well. Madame Pomfrey helped him to stand up and then went over to Rachael.  
  
Dumbledore was already with her. "I suggest you and the other proffessors get started on some research." He told Madame Pomfrey, looking at her intensly. The nurse opened her mouth as if to say 'Oh' and then nodded, walking out of the hall with Mcgonogall at her feet. Most of the students were milling out of the Great Hall now too, yawning tiredly and heading to their respective common rooms. Dumbledore sighed and then knelt down beside Rachael. He helped her stand up, she was still very tired and confused about what had just happened.   
  
"Dumbledore.... Whhaat??" The girl mumbled. Rachael nodded her head on the headmasters shoulder, Lindsay came over and helped him lift her.  
  
"Rachael! What'd you just do? That red fire? What was it all?" Lindsay exclaimed as he came over.  
  
"Mister Avery, all you're questions can be answered in the morning, right now I suggest you and Miss Normand here head up to the hospital wing." Dumbledore said, he led Lindsay and the mumbling girl up to the wing, where two beds were already prepared and waiting.  
Lindsay yawned tiredly and decided that he could do with a good sleep after all that had happened. Rachael fell asleep straight away after Dumbledore helped her into the bed.   
  
***  
  
Rachael Dreams...  
  
  
It was a bright and sunny day. The grass on the hill was green and perfect A young man sat at the top, watching his three-year old daughter run around, trying to catch a butterfly. The little girl was wearing a small yellow sundress, she would flip it up and down with glee whenever she found an ant or bug. The man smiled, he looked as if he hadn't smiled in ages, and had forgotten how. His eyes looked worried and afraid, he was troubled by something.   
Thunder struck in the distance. The man looked past the colourful city, on the easternly side of the hill, and out into the ocean. There, just above the horizon, lay a dark unnaturel looking cloud. The only blemish in a perfect sky.   
  
"Come on darling," The man said, and reached for his daughter. "It's time to go home." When the two first touched a faint red colour could be seen on their fingertips, but it disappeared as quickly as it began.  
  
"Why is the sky blue, father?" The girl asked, from her father's arms.  
  
"Shhh, ask me later, little one." They were now walking down into the city.  
  
"How come the houses are so colourful?" The man looked down at his daughter, he looked concerned or confused. They turned down an alley way and stopped infront of a door. Around the edges of the door there was a red glow. The man searched his pocket and pulled out an old looking key. He turned the lock and opened the door. " It's red, all around the walls of our house!" The little girl exclaimed. She shifted in her fathers arms and he let her go.   
The young man watched his daughter run around the house, touching all the walls. Thunder struck again in the distance and the man turned around, shutting the door. He went and sat down at a small wooden table that stood on the right side of the room, across from the stairs. His eyebrows were furrowed and he appeared to be thinking hard about something. A decision of some sorts had to be made, and soon.   
  
"Father!" The little girl was yelling, though her father didn't seem to be hearing her. "Father! I have a question!" The girl stood up on the chair across from her dad. She leaned across the table and yelled, "I have a question, Father... Father..."  
  
  
  
"Rachael! Wake up Rachael!" Rachael could faintly hear someone calling her name, but she was still partly in her dream. That man had seemed so familiar.   
"Rachael!" She turned over and covered her ears with the pillow, trying to grasp onto the last bit of dream. It was no use. She was awake now.   
  
Rachael sat up slowly in her hospital bed and threw her pillow at whoever was yelling at her. She then rubbed her eyes and saw Lindsay struggling with the pillow case. She stifled a laugh.  
  
"Lindsay, what's wrong with you?" Rachael asked, as Lindsay untangled himself. "I was trying to sleep!"  
  
"Breakfast is ready in Hall, and you have to go collect your schedule," Lindsay said, throwing pillow and pillow case back onto the bed.  
  
"Is that all? Can't it wait?"   
  
"Classes start in half an hour, most people have been up for hours!" Rachael slowly got up out of bed and surveyed Lindsay. He was already washed and in his school robes, a small piece of paper was in his hand.   
  
" I suppose you've already gone and eaten without me?" Rachael asked Lindsay, who tried to avoid her gaze as much as possible. "Thought so."   
  
"Well I have to go.. uh... downstairs and.. ya, I'll see you down there!" With that Lindsay left the hospital wing.  
  
Rachael sighed, I'm not that scary am I? She asked herself. She smiled, of course I am. Rachael went around to the end of the bed where she had seen her school robes set out for her to change into.  
While she was changing, she thought about how strange it was that Lindsay didn't mention last night. Probably had a chat with Dumbledore already, Rachael concluded. Remembering last night, I guess I have some stuff to talk to Dumbledore about too. Rachael frowned, things had all of a sudden got really confusing, What kind of wizard had healing power in their veins?? Way too confusing for an eleven year old.  
  
My first day at Hogwarts and most people have probably already labled me as a freak of nature! With those encouraging thoughts, Rachael made her way down to the Great Hall.  
  
* 


	5. A Talk With Dumbledore

Chapter 4: A Chat with Proffessor Dumbledore  
  
  
  
  
The soft tap of Rachael's shoes on the floor made her jump, it was too quiet up here and too dark. She wasn't exactly scared, just a bit jumpy. The darkness was kind of intimidating. She was making her way up to the "Gargoyle on the fourth floor, second corridor to your left" that's what the seventh year had told her, when she asked where she could find Proffessor Dumbledore.   
  
After Rachael had left the infirmary, she went straight down to the Great Hall. There she quickly ate breakfast, ignoring Lindsay's consistant babbling and got her schedule of classes. With no intention of going to her classes, Rachael had told Lindsay she'd meet him outside for Herbology later. She then found a prefect and asked where the Proffessor might be.  
  
And here she was now, wandering the corridor in search of a gargoyle. A strange creak and Rachael was beggining to freak. Was this some kind of joke the older years were playing on her? Rachael was looking around alertly when she came face to face with a long nose and pointy teeth.   
"Ahhhhh!" She screamed shrilly, stumbling backwards to the other side of the corridor. " I guess I found the gargoyle, now what do I do?" Her voice was barely audible.   
  
Rachael sat on the other side for a while, eyeing the gargoyle warily, she was about to give up when the gargoyle began to shift accross, making a crunch sound. This made Rachael jump again. She sighed, though, when she saw the smiling face of Dumbledore poke out from the staircase the gargoyle revealed.  
  
"Proffessor!"  
  
"Ah! Miss Normand, I have been expecting you! Come on, come on, no time to waste. " and with that Proffessor Dumbledore turned around and headed up the stairs again.  
  
Rachael eyed the gargoyle supiciously and followed Dumbledore up the twisting staircase.  
  
**  
  
An hour later, Rachael was sitting in a rather large green Lay-Z-Boy like chair, trying to listen to what Dumbledore was saying, but really he wasn't that interesting. When she had first arrived here in the office, Rachael had blurted out so many questions at once. "What was that red stuff?" "What's wrong with Lindsay?" "What's wrong with ME??" Dumbledore had tried to tell her calmly that they really didn't know quite yet, the teachers were in the Library at this moment looking but no luck so far. That's just about when Rachael lost interest. Nobody knew who she was, what she was for that matter, I'm a freak she told herself.  
  
So Rachael was sitting here, looking around the room, with a kind of dazed expression on her face, when something Dumbledore said caught her attention again.  
  
"This world, I read, was supposed to be some ancient myth, not so unlike Atlantis the muggles seem to believe in."  
  
"What was that Proffessor?" Rachael asked, turning her attention back to the proffessor.  
  
"The myth I've been telling you about Rachael, this world? Have you not been listening, child? I think we might have a connection here."  
  
"I'm sorry, Proffessor, where did you read this?"  
  
"A book in the restricted section, now may I continue?" Dumbledore, seeing the questioning look on Rachael's face, added. " And no, you may not borrow the book.  
"Now then, where was I? Oh yes the myth. In this book I have, Rachael, It tells about an ancient colourful city that sat on the coast of America, of course, we as witches and wizards have known about the Americas much longer than any muggle. Yes let me see," Dumbledore looked under his desk and then popped up again. "Yes, the book was written in about 1100. Now as I believe it is, the relationship between our world and the muggles world is not so unlike our relationship with these people from the city. We as the muggles, not knowing or believing about the people, and them, as us, hiding themselves from us, believing that the two would not be able to live together.   
  
"Now from what I have read, these people seemed to live in clans, the red clan, the yellow clan and so on. Though, the names of colours were different. The only colour clan that didn't exist was the black clan. A baby who was born with the fate of a black clan member would be killed, destroyed. They were afraid of something, something deadly and dangerous, though i'm not sure what. Although this is all a myth, and there is no evidence that this city really exists, What you did yesterday, Rachael, has got me beginning to wonder. I can't say anything for sure yet, I've got to finish this book on myths first. But, for the time being, I thought you might like to read this poem, it is from the beginning of the book. "  
  
With that Dumbledore handed Rachael a piece of parchment and led out her out to the door.  
  
**  
  
On her way down the stairs, Rachael read the poem:  
  
Yellow goes to those who protect our world  
Green are those who keep us alive,  
Violet, a danger, if not used well,   
can defend only if needed.  
Blue or Indigo go to those  
who keep us together,  
Red, the talented, have a will to heal,  
while White can See our path,  
And Black can destroy them all.  
  
  
The first thing that came into Rachael's head was, as if i'm not confused enough as it is and Dumbledore gives me this! Rachael waved the parchment around and gave it a frustrating look. A passing prefect looked at her oddly, she glared at him.   
  
"Wait a second! aren't you a first year." The prefect grabbed her arm making Rachael drop the parchment. "Aren't you supposed to be in class right now?" The boy asked bending down and picking the parchment up, he had bright red hair, that reminded Rachael of that Weasley boy, Oh what was his name again!   
  
"I was talking to Proffessor Dumbledore, you can ask him if you like, but I was." Rachael said putting her most innocent face on.  
  
"Poem needs a bit of work, um what's your name?" The boy asked handing the poem back.  
  
"Rachael Normand."  
  
"Ravenclaw?" Rachael nodded. "That's ten points from Ravenclaw then, for wandering the halls during class time." With that the boy walked off.  
  
"Hey!! I told you I was talking to Proffessor Dumbledore!" Rachael yelled at his back. "Bloody prefect.." She muttered, turning around and heading down to Herbology.   
  
  
By the time Rachael got to Herbology it was already half over and the students were busily working on some Flobberworm feed. Reachael headed over to the proffessor, a plump, kind looking witch with fly away gray hair and a rather rumpled hat.  
  
  
"Yes dear?" The proffessor looked up at Rachael over her square glasses.  
  
"I was up in Dumbledore's office, proffessor..?"  
  
"Sprout." Proffessor Sprout smiled kindly.  
  
"Proffessor Sprout and thats why I'm so late."   
  
The proffessor nodded knowingly. Rachael had a feeling all the staff knew who she was now. Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the thought of beeing spied on by the proffessors, Rachael headed over to where Lindsay was working.  
  
"Hey!" she said quietly, making Lindsay jump.  
  
"Ok, rule number one: never sneak up on me again!" Lindsay was still kind of jumpy.  
  
"Oh so there's rules I have to follow to be your friend?" Rachael laughed poking Lindsay in the stomach.  
  
"Ow! and thats rule number two! No poking Lindsay in the stomach." He smiled at Rachael, eyes shining. "I can give you the complete list if you want to study them...I think there's 327 right now."  
  
Rachael laughed and Lindsay started to reach for his bag. "NO, no thats ok I think i'll just learn from experience." Rachael said quickly and Lindsay straightened up. "As if you actually have a list!"   
  
"Well you never know when your going to need one!"Lindsay laughed and handed Rachael a cup of Flobberworm feed to work on.  
  
Rachael smiled, well at least one person doesn't think I'm a freak. All thoughts Rachael had had of the other world were gone, leaving her pretty happy to be at Hogwarts. Although, it was school.  
  
  
***  
  
A/N Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter, hope you come back and read more :) 


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